Thread guide for knitting machine



April 17, 1962 o. BUNGE ETAL THREAD GUIDE FOR KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1958 April 17, 1962 o. BUNGE ETAL THREAD GUIDE FOR KNITTING MACHINE 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1958 f0" 00 ooooowovr 0 a if April 17, 1962 o. BUNGE ETAL THREAD GUIDE FOR KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 25, 1958 3,929,629 THREAD GUIDE FUR KNITTING MACHEJE Gtto Bangs, Berlin-Qharlettenbnrg, and Herbert Sehnrich,

Berlin-Frohnau, Germany, assignors to Karl Steinhof Apparatetahrih, Berlin-Reinickendcrl, Germany Filed Sept. 25, 1958, er. No. 763,413 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 23, 1957 9 @laims. (Cl, se en In hand-knitting machines, wool-inserters are often used for inserting the thread but these have often given rise to stoppages.

In: order to eliminate these stoppages, the attempt has been made to guide the wool-inserter relatively far outside the needle-heads and in front of the latter with a view to preventing collisions occurring, during slide and needle movements, between the wool inserter and the needle heads and latches.

Such an arrangement of the wool inserter as against the needle heads again presents the disadvantage that it was found impossible to produce certain fancy patterns and intricate knitting work. This is bound up with the fact that, when knitting such patterns in regular or irregular sequences, a number of needles had to be brought out of the knitting position into the far-projecting holdingposition, and other needles, in turn, had to be brought into the non-working position, i.e. into the furthest retraeted position. The result of this was that it was not possible, with certainty, to insert the thread into the needle hook by means of the wool inserter. I In order to avoid these disadvantages, provision is made, according tothe invention, instead of a threadguiding eyelet or wool inserter, of a-in itself wellknown,plate-type guide-member at the front end of the thread guide, this guide-member being fitted internally with an-in itself well-known-aperture for guiding the thread through, and a run-off edge located in front and underneath, for guiding the thread along; at the same time the plate-rnember is obliquely secured on the threadguide in such a way that the thread-guides run-oif edge lies deeper than the thread exit aperture in the platernember. By designing the thread-guide in this way, the possibility presents itself that the place of exit, i.e. the hole giving exit. out of the thread guide, can be arranged relatively high, i.e. so far above the needle hook that no collision between the needle hook and the thread exit aperture out of the thread guide is possible. On the other hand, the point of thread run-off, i.e. the lower run-ofi edge can be located substantially deeper than has been the case in the past with the hitherto customary guide-thread eyelets or thread inserters, without any adverse contact occurring between a thread guide designed in such away, and the needle heads or latches. This is bound up with the fact that, by designing the threadguides point of run-oil as an edge of a plate-member, the latter'is able to slide ofi the needles heads or latches without giving rise to damage.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing details of the invention, and in which:

FiGURE 1 shows the elevation of a part of a needle bed in which, diagrammatically, the course of the thread when inserting the thread by means of a customary thread-inserter is depicted, namely, once for the knitting of ordinary smooth work, and, once again, for the knitting of a pattern in which a few needles are in the non working position,

FIGURE 2 shows a plan view of the diagrammatic representation as shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view on a needle bed with the needles and the position of a thread-inserter,

FIGURE 4 is a side view similar to that of FIGURE 3,

3&29523 Patented Apr. 17, 1&52

but with a plate as thread guide instead of the thread inserter,

FEGURE 5 shows a' diagrammatic representation of the needle head positions, the slide being in a middle position in relation to the needle bed,

FIGURE 6 is a partial plan view of a thread-guideplate attachment as per the invention, with a straight run-off edge and partial plan view on the needle bed,

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view on a special form of execution of a thread-guide plate-attachment as per the invention with angle-shaped run-oil edge,

FIGURE Sis a plan view similar to that of FIGURE 7, on a thread-guide plate attachment, in which the runolf edge is designed in a cambered shape,

FlGURE 9 is a partial front elevation of a needle bed, a lock, and a thread guide-plate attachment as per the invention fitted on the latter in a swivel construction,

FIGURE 16: is. a side view on the parts depicted in FIGURE 9,

FIGURE 11 is a perspective representation of another form of execution of a thread-guide with two guide eyelets, and

FIGURE 12 is a partial plan view on a needle bed, and partial plan View on a wide-aperture thread guide.

It is now proposedv that an explanation. be given, with reference to FIGURES l and 2, why it is possible, using a customary thread-inserting eyelet located relatively far in front of the needle heads and close above the needle hooks, to insert the thread without trouble occurring when knitting plain work, but not, on the other hand, when knitting intricate designs or other fancy patterns.

As regards knitting plain work, let it be supposed that the thread it runs off the hook of the needle 3 at point 2, and is guided along the oblique line to the thread-guiding lug located in position 4 which, in terms or; time, agrees with that position in which needle 5, immediately following on needle 3, is in the process of seizing the thread 1 (FIGURES 1 and 2). From the figures it is seen that the angle a which the thread 1 assumes as against the horizontal, is still just shallow enough to enable the hook of needle 5 just to be able to seize the thread 1.

If, on the other hand, when knitting a fancy pattern or some intricate knitting design, several successive. needles are lifted out of the knitting position, so as to be brought either into the holding position or into the non-working position, then the thread-guide lug will have moved out of position4 into position 6 in fact, so that the attendant angle of inclination o of the thread path 7 is smaller than the angle al It therefore appears as if the needle hook is able more easily to seize the thread than was the case when knitting plain work. This ishowcver a false conclusion because the next needle 8 located in the knitting position is not an adjacent needle but one located at several needle divisions away from the first needle 3. Let it be assumed that-depending on the pattern which is to be knittedthis needle 8 is located, say, in the middle between the initial needle 3 and the position 6 of the lug. Whereas with. plain knitting as was portrayed in the first example, the next needle 5 is only a short distance away from the first needle 3--namelyin fact, in the example shown, at about a fifth of the distance between needle 3 and position i of the thread-guiding lugthe distance between needle 3v and the next one in succession and located in the knitting position when the pattern taken as example is being knitted is now about half that of the distance between the first needle 3 and the position 6 of the thread-guiding lug. This distance is however so greatthat, despite the shallower course of the portion of thread 7 the hook of needle 8 is now unable to seize the thread 7, as FIGURE 1 clearly shows.

Now, if despite this, it were desired to knit fancy or patterned work using the customary thread-guiding lug,

one would be compelled to take the thread-guiding lug further down towards the needle heads, namely, from position 9 into position 10 (FIGURE 3). As FiGURE 3 shows, this might involve the lower exit edge 11 of the thread-guiding lug coming to lie underneath the hook-end 12 of the hook 13 even. This is in fact possible on account of the fact that the lower end of the lug is located in the free space between the hook-end 12 of the hook 13 and the open latch 14, and the hook 13-in accordance with arrow Bdoes not move back until after the threadguiding lug has moved past the needle in question.

In spite of this, such an arrangement of the threadguiding lug for the purpose of knitting fancy patterns and intricate designs, has not proved itself to be worthwhile because stoppages are still liable to occur easily. This is bound up with the fact that hand-knitting machines especially, are usually not operated by rigorously-trained operatives which means that precise operating regulations are not in fact complied with. It can easily happen that the slide is not given full strokes, i.e. the slide is not moved over the whole of the needle bed but only up to some middle position from which, contrary to regulations, it is moved back again.

These conditions are represented diagrammatically in FIGURE 5. Shown as 15 and 16 are those diflerent positions of the needle hooks which the latter assume if the slide has been moved, in the direction of arrow 17, as far as the middle position. Now, if, contrary to regulations, the slide is moved back in the direction of arrow 19, then, first of all, the needles remain in the positions 15, 16. Where this is the case it might easily happen that the thread-guiding lug at the end of the arm 48 impinges upon one of the needles in positions 16 laterally. The result of this might be that damage is done to the needles and the thread-guide or even, under certain circumstances, the slide itself might become jammed. The needle hooks do in fact become moved out of positions 16 into positions15 if the lock 18 moves in the direction of arrow 19, but this occurs by way of the edge 21 of the part of the slide in question. Since this backwards movement of the needles out of position 16 into position 15 only takes place if the edge 21 has moved towards the needle feet in the positions 16, the dislocating effect of the thread-guiding lug has already taken place. This is bound up with the fact that the thread-guiding lug 20 precedes the edge 21 controlling the backwards moving needles.

These dislocations would occur however not only when a needle hook just happens to be located laterally opposite the thread-guiding lug, but also when needle latches are located in this position. These disadvantages are avoided according to the invention in that-corresponding to FIGURE 4--instead of the thread-guiding lug 20, a thread-guiding plate 22 at the end of arm 53 is used which has an exit aperture 23 for the thread 24 and in addition, a run-off edge 25 fitted in front of this aperture 23. By constructing the front end of the thread-guide in this manner in the form of a flat plate, it is possible, by positioning it obliquely-corresponding roughly to FIGURE 4--to ensure that the run-out point 26 out of the aperture 23 does lie above the hook-end of hook 13, but that the run-01f edge 25 is not only fitted substantially deeper but is also brought nearer the point of swivel 27 of the needle latch 28. The eflect of this is firstly, that the thread lies relatively deep at the run-off edge 25, so that it is certain to be seized by the hook-end 12, and, at the same time due care has been taken to ensure that the hook-end 12 is unable to enter the aperture 23 of the thread-guide plate thereby causing dislocation as was easily the case where the constructional design took the form of a thread-guiding lug because there the run-off point of the thread coincided at one and the same point with the point of exit from the thread guiding lug.

Trying out the new thread guide in practice has shown that, by means of the obliquely positioned and plate-like constructional design of the thread guide in the lower portion it is possible namely to prevent the point of the needle hook from penetrating into the thread-guide hole 23, though not all stoppages can be excluded with certainty by using the new-type thread-guide.

Faults can occur even with the plate-like construction as per the invention in cases where the side edge 29 of the plate at the end of the arm 49as is similarly the case with the thread-guiding lug in the known types of thread guides strikes up against the hook-end of needles which find themselves in some intermediate position, not in the knitting position, that is. It can also happen that the side, edges 29 hit up against needle latches causing the thread-guide or the slide as the case may be, to become jammed.

In order to exclude the possibility of these faults occurring it is expedient to design the forward edge 30 not as a straight line as in the form of execution as per FIG- URE 6, but-conforming with FIGURE 7-as an angular shape, in which the forward edge of the plate at the end of the arm 50 is divided into two edges 31 lying at an angle to each other. The effect of this is that, upon the thread guide-plates impinging upon an end of a needle-hook, as a result of the oblique edges 31, the thread guide-plate slides over this hook end with an attendant, simultaneous resilient give both on the part of the thread guide as well as on the part of the needles. Also-should the needles happen to assume such a position accidentally that the thread guide encounters open latches-no jamming of the thread guide will occur but, instead, by means of one of the oblique edges 31, the latch will be swivelled in the one or the other direction, namely, either forward or backward, so that the thread guide is then able to move on its way freely.

A still better possibility for the design of the thread guide is contained in the fact that the two side edges 31 of the thread guide plate shall not be allowed to terminate in a pointed end 32 but that they are instead flattened off along the line 33. This has the advantage that, with the reversing movements of the thread guide, the thread emerging from the thread guide hole 23 cannot remain caught up at the end 32 but is instead able to slide easily along the flattened edge 33 from the one edge 31 to the next edge 31.

In a further development of the inventive idea it may be found expedient not to provide a broken line 31, 33, 31, as is the case with the thread guide according to FIG- URE 7, but instead, a constantly bending curve or more especially, an arc of a circle, as shown in FIGURE 8. This makes for an easy sliding movement of the thread along this curved edge 34 when the slide executes its reversing movements, from the one oblique position 35 into the other oblique position 36 shown in dotted lines, without the threads coming to a standstill only temporarily even, at any odd corners.

As FIGURES 9 and 10 show, the thread 24 is inserted, through a slit 37 provided in the thread guide, in the hole 23 of the thread guide plate formed at the end of the arm 51. It is better to design this hole 23 only as a sem1c1rcle 38 on the side facing the curve 34, though at the sides where the hole 23 passes over into the slit 37, to provide it with right-angle shaped corners 39. The effect of this is to prevent the thread from jumping out of the hole 23 through the slit 37 during the reversal phases of the motion. On the contrary, the thread which lies up against the sides 40 of the hole 23 at any particular time, is caught up by the particular shoulder 41 as applicable, which means that it is unable to jump out through the slit 37.

The construction of the thread guide in accordance with the invention has an added significance when applied to such hand-knitting machines as, for the purpose of leading or trailing the thread guide, are swivelled at the points of reversal of the slides travel. With this swivel action there is the increased danger that a customary thread guide might hit up against such needle heads or needle latches as happen to be located in some middle position. This is bound up with the fact that, with a swivelaction thread guide, this, at the actual moment when it swivels, looked at in a plan view, executes arc-shaped movements so thata movement component follows a path along the needles" longitudinal direction. If this swivel action on the part of the thread guide merely occurred in the terminal points of'the normal stroke, i.e. outside the rows of needles, then there would be no danger of a collision occurring. Since however, in the course of some unauthorised backwards movement of the slide as from a middle position inside the needle bed the thread guide is swivelled, a trouble-free onward movement of the thread guide over the needle heads and needle latches is possible only by means of the thread guide as per the invention. This sort of unauthorised to and fro movement over part-distances of the needle bed is' usually carried out by purchasers of hand-knitting machines as a kind of game as it were prior to any actual knitting, using a thread, having really begun, a practice which would inevitably result in stoppages and damage were the machine not equipped with the thread guide as per the invention.

It has been shown to be expedient for the thread 24 not;

to be merely fed into the hole 23 through the slit 37 but instead, for a second guide hole 42 in the form of an eyelet to be fitted in the upper portion of the slit 37as is seen in FiGURE 11-namely opposite hole 23 in such a way that, as it runs into hole 23 the thread 24 follows a practically vertical course to the plate 43 which is formed at the end of the arm 52 and in which the hole23 is provided. By guiding the thread in this manner a particularly even knit is achieved. This obviously, is bound up with the fact that, when guiding the thread 24 merely through one single guide-hole 23, this thread takes up an oblique position to the plate 43 of the thread-guide. The result of this oblique positioning is that, when the thread guide moves in the one direction, the flank 4t) concerned penetrates to a certain extent with its side, into the spiral pitch of the twisted thread and, in this manner twists the thread somewhat as it runs through the hole 23 inasmuch as the oblique lay of the part-surface at the point of insertion on the thread corresponds to the oblique course of the threads spiral pitch. It is rather like the case of a loosely mounted threaded spindle being screwed into a flat, obliquely positioned object as a result of the latters edge becoming engaged in the spindles threads. In a case like this, the threaded spindle would be rotated.

At the reversal of the motion when the thread comes to lie up against the opposite flank 40, a penetration into the threads spiral pitch of the kind described does not occur, instead, this edge crosses the threads spiral pitch. I

If however, in accordance with the form of execution as shown in FiGURE 11, the thread is guided vertically to the plate 43, then such a penetration into the thread on the part of the flank 46 does not occur, on the contrary, the flank cross with the thread no matter where the thread is lying, and at the same angle of traverse, and so a uniform knitting action results.

It is furthermore of advantage for the thread guidehole 23 to be designed as a wide-angle hole 44 in accordance with FIGURE 12. The effect of this is that, at the points of reversal-one is represented in FIGURE 12the run-in angle a is more obtuse than when the thread is guided through only one hole. In the latter case the run-in angle is marked b in FIGURE 12. The thread will stray within the wide-angle hole 44 from the one flank 45 to the other flank 45 at the movements of reversal. By the greater run-in angle a, what is achieved is that, at the reversing movements fewer stitch-sinkers 46 are seized by the stitch-sinker hooks 47, which is of advantage for a trouble-free and uniform knitting action.

We claim:

1. A hand knitting machine which comprises a plurality of latch needles disposed parallel to one another and horizontally, each needle being adapted to slide, in the direction of its length, between an innermost and an outermost position, and each needle having a shaft with an upwardly hooked end, a latch, and a pivot interconnecting the latch and the shaft, and which further comprises a thread guide adapted to slide in a direction at right angles to the length of each needle, said thread guide comprising an arm having a straight portion and a fiat guide plate rigid with and inclined to said straight portion and to the direction of the length of the needles, an opening formed in the arm and adapted to permit a thread to pass through the arm, and a wide run-off edge disposed below the opening and adapted to guide the thread passing through the opening, and in which the run-ofl edge is so arranged that when any one needle is in the outermost position the guide can he slid into a register position in which 'at least a part of the run-01f edge is above and close to the shaft of said one needle, said edge being formed on a bottom portion of the guide plate which portion extends downwards and away from the hooked end of said one needle and towards the pivot of said needle.

2. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim in which the run-01f edge is arcuate.

3. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 2, which comprises a needle bed slidably accommodating the needles, and a lock adapted to slide along the needle bed together with the thread guide, and in which the runoff edge is formed as a circularly curved are symmetrical with respect to the arm and having a lowest point so disposed that as the lock and thread guide slide along the needle bed said point slides between the hooked end and thepivot of each needle when in the outermost position, and above and close to and almost touching the shaft of each needle.

4. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the opening is above the hooked end of said one needle, and the run-off edge is between the hooked end and the pivot of said one needle, when the guide is in said register position.

5. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the opening is in the plate, and the arm comprises an arcuate portion interconnecting the straight portion and the plate, and a central slot formed in the arcuate portion and communicating with the opening in the plate, and in which the opening has a periphery comprising a semicircular portion with ends directed away from the run-oil edge, and right-angled portions forming shoulders adjacent to the slot and adapted to prevent the thread from slipping out of the opening when the direction of the sliding movement of the guide is reversed.

6. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the opening is formed in the straight portion of the arm and the run-off edge is an internal edge of a hole in the guide plate, the opening being so arranged, with respect to the hole in the plate, that the thread extending from the opening to the hole is directed at right angles to the surface of the guide plate in which the hole is formed.

7. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 6, in which the hole in the plate is of elongated shape and the length of the hole extends at right angles to the length of each needle.

8. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the run-oit edge comprises two straight portions meeting to form an angle and disposed symmetrically with respect to the arm, said angle having an apex which is between the hooked end and the pivot of said one needle and above and close to the shank of said one needle when the guide is in the register position.

9. A hand knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the thread guide has a plane of symmetry extending parallel to the length of each needle, and the run- 011 edge is in the form of a polygon having at lowest corner disposed in said plane of symmetry.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,893,808 Spector Jan. 10, 1933 1,939,501 Kane Dec. 12, 1933 2,087,830 Wrightson July 20, 1937 8 Weisbecker Sept. 21, 1937 Zimic et a1. Dec. 13, 1938 Fregeolle Nov. 18, 1941 Levin Oct. 28, 1952 Von Skene et a1. Mar. 2,1954 Schoenster Sept. 28, 1954 Peters Jan. 18, 1955 Buhrer Aug. 16, 1955 Piltz Feb. 21, 1956 Bitzer Mar. 13, 1956 

